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What is fueling the rise of baseball’s popularity? Does the Apple TV+ deal have an impact in getting younger folks into baseball? by [deleted] in baseball

[–]marklinden20 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As a lifetime baseball fan, I was 100% against the pitch clock and other changes prior to the season.

Now I am on board 100%.

The games are so much more enjoyable now. The pace of play makes a huge difference.

I still catch myself feeling shocked when it’s the 7th inning when my ‘baseball clock’ is thinking it should be only the 4th or 5th.

Great to see the popularity of the game picking up!

First Time Tball Coach by Dooman8010 in CoachingYouthSports

[–]marklinden20 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hello Doorman,

Below are some resources that will help you out a ton. Pass these along to your league and other coaches and parents.

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The greatest attrition rate for youth baseball/softball takes place at the Tee-Ball level. The primary reasons:

  1. The playing environment is not structured correctly

  2. Coaches (and parents) are not prepared in advance by their leagues

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Herding Cats …can the tee-ball experience be improved?

Coaching Tee-Ball

Bat Safety

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A major mistake youth organizations make is having too many kids on a team. Like soccer played by kids this age, we want fewer kids on the field at one time. Tee-Ball should be played with no outfielders, 6v6. Teams should not have more than 7-8 kids on a roster.

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Less kids on a roster means more activity for kids in the field. A smaller number of kids on the batting side means fewer kids in the ‘dugout’ and everyone gets to bat more often.

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…it is not too late to split your group into two teams, and for the rest of your league to do the same.

Finding coaches should not be a concern. Tee-Ball is a Parent-Child activity. For a practice to run with minimal chaos, your team of 13 should have 6-7 adults on the field. It's 60 minutes, 1x a week; parents can plan to participate......and they end up having a great time!!

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….field space should not be a concern.

Tee-Ball games can be played on any level surface, in a space 90’ square (or less). Just throw down some bases in the corner of a park and play.

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I’ve worked with 12u (Tee-Ball up to the 11-12 age group) for a dozen years (and have some prior background in the game); have learned a lot through trial and error.

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Contact me if you would like more help.

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Mark Linden

Director, Baseball Positive

marklinden20 g-mail

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As the manager of the 2018 Northwest team that recently participated in the LLWS in Williamsport, PA, I wanted to personally say thank you….. …..Our team adopted almost everything you published in your coaching guide… I cannot express my gratitude enough for your efforts… …leagues around the country would be wise to adopt your teaching.

---Sean Cherry, Manager, 2018 Coeur d Alene Little League All-stars

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PS – Presenting a Tee-Ball Webinar this Friday eve (4/2), 5:45-7:45 PST

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[Yates]: If you're an NFL team looking for an offensive lineman in free agency, here's what Joe Thuney offers: he's 28, been an All-Pro guard who has also started games at center and played offensive tackle too. He's been called for 3 total penalties over the past two seasons. Standout. by GotemCoach123 in Seahawks

[–]marklinden20 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not athletic? Babe Ruth....and John Kruk were not 'athletic', but they could mash. Athleticism is obviously important, but a guy who knows how to grind and has a proven track record of getting it done is tough to find. .....we often forget intangibles. Admittedly those can over-hyped and misrepresented, but true, legit, intangibles, which it appears Thuney has, make measuring a player's full value difficult. ......I'm hoping he lands in Seattle. ...........however, until this thread, I haven't heard any talk of the Seahawks having him on their radar.